1. Technical Field
The disclosure relates generally to occupant detection and responding to such detection, such as providing: an alert as to the presence of an occupant and providing a response based on the nature of the occupant.
2. Background Art
Detection of the presence and nature of occupants within a vehicle is desired for many purposes, including ensuring that all occupants are restrained by a latched seat belt, providing an appropriate output from a passive restraint system based on the apparent size/weight of the occupant, and providing a signal to a former occupant of the vehicle that an occupant has been left behind in the vehicle, possibly a heated vehicle.
Thermal imagining has been proposed to detect occupants of the vehicle. However, detection of occupants is confounded when the occupant is partially, or totally, concealed by a blanket, a hat, sunglasses, etc.